EPS: A Good Idea
For Female-Friendly
And Heavyweight Sleds?
Both Honda and Yamaha are offering electric power steering (EPS) on versions of their ATVs this season. The idea is to reduce steering effort on those fat-tired ATV front ends when slogging through tough terrain. When ATVs were lightweight 4-wheelers with 300cc engines, it didn’t take much effort to turn the handlebars. But add in an extra cylinder or even a quite large displacement v-twin and you have added weight with which to contend. Throw in the extra avoirdupois of fuel injection and its complexities; add liquid cooling—complete with front-mounted radiator. Well, that little ATV is now a heavy bugger that needs to be forced through rugged wilderness. Hit a rock or the side of a stump just so and feel the handlebar get ripped from your grasp. EPS is intended to reduce both steering effort and soften the jolt when the front end meets immoveable objects—like boulders and hidden roots, etc.
The idea of electric powered steering is actually quite simple and said to add negligible weight. Honda’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) system for All Terrain Vehicles monitors steering torque and vehicle speed to adjust the levels of steering assist and feel. When stopped or at low speeds, it requires light steering effort, and as speeds increase, the amount of assist is adjusted to provide the appropriate level of feedback. States a Honda media release: “EPS is a unique system consisting of an ECU-programmed electric steering assistance motor and multiple sensors. These sensors measure the handlebar torque applied by the operator as well as the ATV’s speed to determine the correct amount of steering assistance required for all conditions. More assistance is provided in rough terrain and at low speeds to decrease the amount of steering effort required, while less assistance is provided at higher speeds and in smooth terrain. This innovative technology also decreases bump steer and kickback through the handlebar in all conditions. The sophisticated Showa system includes separate ECU programming for 2WD and 4WD modes, while spring-loaded steering-motor gears minimize play to increase steering feel and feedback at higher speeds.”
The front and rear ATV suspensions have been revised specifically for Honda's 2007 Foreman with EPS.
Yamaha has added its own EPS to the new Grizzly 700 with fuel injection. With vehicles like the Honda Foreman and Yamaha Grizzly weighing at 600 pounds or so —in the range of many new sleds (with fuel)— wouldn’t there be some likely consideration for adding power steering to snowmobiles? You wouldn't necessarily add it to the sporty ones, but surely here’s a chance to make sleds more “female-friendly!” Certainly seems to make a heckuva lot more sense than “pink” sleds.
Adding EPS to touring and two-up machines —which tend to be the heaviest of models because they tend to come with the most bells and whistles— would make them easier to enjoy on a 250 to 300 mile jaunt! Just a little thought here, are we on the verge of “automobilizing” the sled market? If sleds are already at $10,000 and there are more 4-strokes coming and these sleds keep getting heavier, isn’t assisted steering a good idea? Just some thoughts on the obvious. Hey, macho guys, even NASCAR's good ol' boys use assisted steering. If it's good enough for Dale Jr. and Juan Pablo, then it's probably good enough for us.
© 2006 Jerry Bassett/RPI
